About Sarah Wah

Biography

Hello, I’m Sarah Wah, founder of Living Room Literature. After completing a degree in English Language and Literature at Leeds University, I continued to study for an MA in Victorian Literature, which I passed with distinction. The intellectual buzz of learning about major nineteenth-century texts was such that I could contemplate no other life than as an English teacher or academic and so I embarked on a PhD in Literature at Cambridge University. At this stage in my career my research interests were rooted in the Victorian period and my thesis explored the careers and writings of George Eliot, the Brontes and Elizabeth Gaskell. Throughout my time at Cambridge I delivered classes on Practical Criticism and Victorian contexts, and my experience of small group teaching was extended when I joined Liverpool University as a lecturer on their Victorian and Modern Literature courses. I have published articles in the English Review and the Journal of Victorian Culture.

Since qualifying as a secondary teacher in 2005, I have taught English to students from 11–18 and enjoy the challenge of making my subject accessible and inspiring to all. Teaching texts from across the canon has meant that my own literary tastes have developed significantly over the years and I have developed a keen interest in Renaissance Literature, modern and contemporary poetry and the American novel.

So, why Living Room Literature? As an English teacher I regularly come into contact with parents of students who confess to living vicariously through their child’s education with limited access to anything of a similar standard and style in the world of adult education. Historically, continuing education has been an integral part of British culture, so I was surprised to discover how under-served literary starved adults are by the current market; government cuts have threatened the survival of local college-run courses while corporate marketing has squeezed the life out of literary study in many further education institutions. Living Room Literature is my commitment to filling the gap.

If you are a mature student, looking for an excellent education with a personal touch and in a friendly venue, then I would love to hear from you.

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Reviews

Every time I enter your living room I feel like I have just arrived at a much needed refuge where time stops still and I get to relax. I love it. I have a new appreciation for Victorian novels. I always loved them but it’s so nice to reread them as an adult and find new meaning in them. What a great gift you have given us all.

Lucia Diaz Pascual, LRL regular

I absolutely loved the sessions; LRL afforded me the opportunity to engage in literature as though a student again – but with the advantage of experience! Sarah wears her learning lightly and leads you to understand aspects of the texts anew, or even for the first time. Sarah also makes fabulous cakes!